LEM is a numerical method that is used to investigate fracture development in rock materials. It is a novel approach that does not require fracture path to be predefined. Fully coupled 1D beam-element lattice networks are used to represent 3D heterogeneous solid material and fracture flow. These beam-element lattice networks are simulated with a relatively low computational cost while providing an opportunity to examine complex interactions of tensile and shear fracture generations in heterogeneous 3D porous media.
Illustration of the LEM approach; broken lattices represent fractures and heterogeneity is modeled through a statistical distribution of lattice properties.
Fracture propagation initiating from a penny-shaped crack.
Resources
The CB-Geo codebase is utilized by the group.